What’s New with QuickBooks ProAdvisors? New Exams on the Way

The newest thing at the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program is the availability of the QuickBooks (Desktop) 2017 Certification, which starts Nov. 21, 2016.

The examination and training materials can be accessed from the Certification menu item of the "My ProAdvisor" tab of your ProAdvisor homepage (aka, Dashboard).

About the QuickBooks (Desktop) 2017 Training Courses

There are 10 optional courses, with each offered for CPE credit. One of the courses focuses entirely on “What’s New in QuickBooks 2017.”

You may take the training courses before the exam, after the exam, in between attempts or not at all. Taking the training is strictly your choice.

Your certification doesn’t depend on taking the optional training. The courses are there solely to help you learn what you need to know.

Additionally, these training materials and courses remain in your ProAdvisor Certification Center until the 2017 Certification is sunset. You can take them at any time prior to that date.

About the QuickBooks (Desktop) 2017 Certification Exam

This new certification examination consists of 120 questions divided into three sections of 35 questions each, with a fourth section of 15 questions. You can complete the sections in any order you'd like. Most people will take three to four hours to complete the entire examination.

To pass the examination, you must complete each section with a minimum score of 80 percent. However, you do have four attempts to pass each section.

Your certification doesn’t depend on you taking the optional training. The courses are there solely to help you learn what you need to know.

After your first attempt, subsequent attempts to pass any section of this exam only will include the test items that were answered incorrectly in the previous attempt.

Each question is saved as you progress to the next question, so you may exit the exam at any time. Your progress will be saved so that when you return, you can just start from where you left off. This also is very helpful when you find that you cannot complete the exam in one sitting.

If you happen to fail all four attempts, you have to wait one year from your last try before attempting the exam again. In that case, you'll want to make certain to spend the time necessary to review all the self-paced training modules and practice within the product to prepare for your next attempt.

In fact, that isn’t a bad practice. If you find you've failed a section a couple of times, you can prepare yourself thoroughly in time to pass the exam section(s) prior to failing upon a fourth attempt.

If you currently hold 2015, but not 2016 QuickBooks Desktop certification, you may want to take your 2016 certification prior to taking the 2017 certification. Passing the 2016 certification will allow you to save time by taking the shorter 2017 Re-Certification exam, while helping you become eligible for the QuickBooks Desktop Advanced Certification Exam.

You must hold 2015 and 2016 QuickBooks Desktop certifications to access the 2017 Re-Certification exam.

About the QuickBooks (Desktop) 2017 Re-certification Exam

If you hold both the 2015 and 2016 QuickBooks Desktop Certifications, you will be eligible to take the shorter “ProAdvisor 2017 Re-Certification Exam.”

This shorter re-certification exam consists of only the 15 questions found in the ‘What’s New in QuickBooks 2017’ section. A minimum passing score of 80 percent is required.

Those taking the re-certification examination will also have four attempts to pass the exam. After your first attempt, subsequent attempts to pass re-certification exam will include only the test items that were answered incorrectly in the previous attempt.

If you fail after all four attempts, you must wait one year from your last try before attempting the exam again.

As with the full examination, each question in the re-certification examination is saved as you progress to the next question. You may exit the exam at any time. If you do, your progress will be saved, so that when you return, you just start from where you left off.

Intuit is also hosting a New 2017 QuickBooks Online Certification training course on November 29 to help prepare advisors for the 2017 QBO Certification exam. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE